Everything we See or Seem

stacy reynaud

I was looking up Scorpion pose and came across a book recommendation, of all things. My local library rocks so of course they had it - now I will recommend the beautiful piece of literature to you.

Letters to a Young Poet by Rainer Maria Rilke. Translated by M.D. Herter  Norton, (1934). The translation/translator makes all the difference.

The close of the eighth letter:

"Do not believe that he who seeks to comfort you lives untroubled among the simple and quiet words that sometimes do you good. His life has much difficulty and sadness ... Were it otherwise he would never have been able to find those words." 

Oh, and here's Scorpion pose

My Invisible Cube Van

It's invisible because it doesn't exist. If it did, I'd be fetching this stuff for you this weekend!

2008 Flashback Post - Our Living Room Five Years Ago

Originally published September 14, 2008. Thanks for sticking around my blog for that long - know that I appreciate it. You give me something to write about.

after

When working with 620 square feet it can be challenging to find furniture that doesn't over power your space.

Windows, area rugs, drapes and a colour wheel (for direction) can help you define the space.

In this space I chose a 5 x 8 flokati rug to bring the room together. Your furniture should sit at just the edge of the rug and should be placed at a comfortable conversation distance from each other and close enough to the coffee table to rest your drink on. In this room the coffee table is a Nakashima inspired vintage old growth burl.

The color scheme was chosen to compliment the view of Stanley Park out the window. It was important to have some bright accents as this home faces northwest and nine months of the year are gray and raining. I chose shades of purple, red, green and gold to liven up the champagne velvet tufted couch and chairs.

Dark chocolate vintage crushed velvet drapes frame the view and pull out the wood grains in the original mid century oak flooring.

before

Looking at this before image - I'm quite proud to say I still have pretty much everything - minus the credenza and TV. The sofas, curtains and flokati rug were destroyed when our West End apartment building was infested by bed bugs a year after this photo. The ficus tree is actually celebrating its 20th birthday this year! It was given to me as a house warming present when I went off to university.

Summer Basil Gin Popsicle Recipe

stacy reynaud

I refuse to let all this basil we have go to waste. Voila - the basil gin boozicle!
I didn't want to use those creepy silicone popsicle molds,  nor the $30 stainless steel mold
from Whole Foods, so I improvised.

 

For the mold I used little recyclable plastic cups, (100 of them cost less than $3), and the popsicle sticks are craft sticks, (bag of 150 less than $3). You can get craft sticks at a craft store or that big box store that starts with W. If you want to be really swish - dye the craft sticks with food coloring or blackberry juice.

What you need:

• 1 cup gin
• 2 cups water
• bunch of fresh basil leaves
• 2 limes - juiced
• 2 tbsp agave syrup
• blender
• tinfoil
• craft sticks
• small cups

What you do:

• add everything to the blender and pulse slowly. Don't go too fast or it will get foamy and that stuff doesn't freeze
• pour the mix into the little cups
• pop a tinfoil hat on them
• slice the middle of the hat with a knife and insert the craft stick
• put the cups on a tray in the freezer for no less than 24 hrs.
• you can omit the water if you want - it just won't freeze as solidly

Vintage Peacock Chair - Emmanuelle Chair

I was probably around twelve when I first saw this image of Marilyn Monroe taken by Milton H. Greene.

Since then, I've wanted one of those wicker chairs - well a peacock chair to be exact - they just look so cool every time I see one in a photo.

Back in the winter of this year I bought one off Craigslist for $25. Damn right it looks cool, but that's about it. The only type of chair I can think of that is as close to as uncomfortable as this type are those plastic white slatted folding outdoor chairs (like this).

 See blondie there in the white sweater? That just about sums up me sitting on the chair!

At least Flo finds it comfortable.

How to Harvest Basil

This one's going to flower soon.  Harvest before it flowers.

via stacy reynaud

Our basil is out of control. To think I never wanted to plant any because I thought I'd end up eating it all in one shot. To get the most out of your basil harvest, here's what to do.

It's best to harvest before the herb flowers as this is when it contains those delicious fragrant oils. Who doesn't love the smell of fresh basil?

1. Start from the bottom of the plant and count up four sets of leaves. When you reach four, snip off the top two. If your plant already has more than four, then pinch off 33% of it. Snip or pinch right above the little leaves that are growing opposite each other. This tells the little guys to keep growing.

2. Once each new branch develops four sets of alternating leaves, pinch them off.  Keep up with this routine until the plant is about a foot tall. By then you'll have a nice bushy plant keen to supply you with enough basil gimlet goodness all summer.

3. To keep your basil through winter, dry it either in a food dehydrator (we have the Nesco Gardenmaster) or air-hang dry it (not in direct sunlight) and put it in an airtight mason jar.

Now, onto our Lemon Verbena plant!

For more in-depth info, check out the post on Vegetarian Times.

This Song | This Color | This Photo

You know those times when you're bombarded with something so much in such a short period of time? Well, over the past 24 hrs I've had three things do it to me.

This color I posted about yesterday,

this song

and this image.

Explanations? Thoughts? Willful exaggerations?

A Green Blue Turquoise Wall Thing

Confession -  I have an issue differentiating between blue and green. Hence, whatever you call this wall colour, I like it. Personally, I wouldn't use it on my walls because I'm too moody for blue (?) - however, my rock star turned designer guy friend Ryan used it in his bedroom and loves it.

I lied. I'd have this bathroom any day - remember my dream of having a window in my shower?

images: mine, bohemian homes, inspire bohemia, Florence Welch's living room in Vogue Living, Shelley Freedman, Velvet and Linen

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Wittgenstein has got it going on

Everything that can be thought at all can be thought clearly. Everything that can be said can be said clearly. 

Ludwig Wittgenstein, Tractatus Logico Philosophicus

Irrefutable Mens Shorts

I'm a leg woman. I can look beyond Magnum's mustache.

Bjorn Borg
Paul Newman
Robert Redford Paul Newman
The Rolling Stones

For the Price of Gold | Put a Bird on It

For close to half an ounce of gold you could buy this Isabel Marant dress.  She did, after all, put a bird on it.

On this Day in 2008

When I originally posted this piece, five years,  ago MCA - Adam Yauch (my favourite Beastie) was still with us. Such a loss.

Matteo Pericoli's Grammy nominated album design

Beastie Boys - To the 5 Boroughs

I loved pop up books as a child.

When I recently discovered that the artist of one of my favourite album covers was also a published author, designer and architect I had to dig deeper.

Matteo Pericoli captures New York City in pen and ink. His first published book, Manhattan Unfurled, Random House (2001) contains fifteen hundred buildings and nineteen bridges that unfold into two 37 foot scrolls of the East and West Sides of the Manhattan skyline. A young person's version is also available under the title, See the City: the journey of Manhattan Unfurled, Knopf for Young Readers (2004). In this version, Pericoli adds simple text and hand-drawn labels, telling young readers how he created his drawing. He also encourages kids to 'draw everything'.

Manhattan Unfurled Random House (2001)

In 2007, Pericoli completed Skyline of the World, a 397 foot panoramic mural for American Airlines' new International Terminal at JFK.

Skyline of the World

photo USA Today

Born in Milan, Matteo Pericoli currently teaches illustration and architecture at Saint Ann's School in Brooklyn, NY.

Chair Love - Oscar Niemeyer Rio Chaise Lounge

So Oscar Niemeyer made cool furniture and buildings? Of course, he did. It seems like most architects are budding furniture designers as well (Frank Lloyd Wright, Ron Thom). Niemeyer passed away in December 2012, 10 days short of his 105th birthday.

The Rio Chaise Lounge was designed in 1978 in collaboration with his daughter, Anna Maria Niemeyer.

It features a bentwood frame, woven cane seat, and a leather headrest pillow with weighted straps.

The image shown is a 2001 reissue for sale on 1st Dibs.

1978 original for sale at $28,000 in 2013
1978 original sold at auction for $22,000 in 2008
1978 original unsold at auction $5000 in 2003

images © R 20th Century

Going to California

Now, if it was only as easy as putting love in my eyes and flowers in my hair. Next week I'm headed to Huntington Beach, the last time I was in Huntington Beach I was 14. This Canadian, loves the sun but does not do well in the heat. I puff up like a puffer blow fish, don't like wearing skimpy clothes, and as a wonderful woman in NYC said to me, 'Girl, you are the whitest woman I've ever seen'.

Braless in a kaftan, that's it! I own a plethora of those! Alas, if only I were going to a fashion conference and not a technology leadership conference.

Yes, you've assumed correctly, that's me and my atv in the olden days at Pismo Beach Dunes before three wheelers were banned!